Training Programs

The Anthropology Department organizes and hosts training programs and workshops for professionals, teachers, and graduate students. In addition, several department staff are adjunct faculty at local universities, offering courses that utilize the museum's resources.

Applications for 2015: March 1The Summer Institute in Museum Anthropology (SIMA) is an intensive four-week residential training program in museum research methods for graduate students in cultural anthropology. It uses the Smithsonian's anthropological resources as a "field site," giving students hands-on experience in collecting and analyzing data from collections in conjunction with formal training methods, all centered around individual research projects.

Project Archaeology is a national heritage education program, with regional offices in 20 states. Using an innovative hands-on approach to history, Project Archaeology teaches scientific inquiry, citizenship, personal ethics and cultural understanding. The program develops educational materials for teachers, scout leaders, and museum educators; conducts workshops for incorporating archaeology in the classroom; and provides ongoing regional mentoring between professional archaeologists and educators.